Russia's Duma vote proceeds amid war, with opposition barred and OSCE excluded

Key points

• Voting started Friday and ends Sunday; United Russia is expected to maintain its 23-year grip on parliament.
• The Yabloko party was banned from the ballot, and its deputy leader Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to 11 years for criticizing the war.
• Voting is taking place in four annexed Ukrainian regions and Crimea for the first time in a Duma election.
• The OSCE was not invited to monitor the vote, which critics say signals a lack of democratic intent.
• Ukraine denounced the vote as illegal and warned that organizing it could carry criminal liability.

Background

This is the first Duma election since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In August, the Supreme Court barred Yabloko, the only registered anti-war party, from the ballot. Deputy leader Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to 11 years for discrediting the military. In 2024, Putin won a fifth presidential term with nearly 90% of the vote in the annexed regions.

How outlets are covering it

AP and The Guardian emphasize the predictable outcome and the Kremlin's control, noting that the 'systemic opposition' parties are nominal. Fox News highlights the exclusion of OSCE observers and the intimidation tactics in occupied Ukraine. The Guardian points to growing anxiety about a potential new mobilization after the vote, while Fox News notes that Russians may support the war symbolically but resist personal or economic costs.

Why it matters

The election reinforces the Kremlin's narrative of domestic unity and support for the war in Ukraine. It also raises concerns about the potential for further mobilization and the deepening of authoritarian control in Russia and its occupied territories.

What to watch

Results are expected after polls close on Sunday. The Kremlin may use the election to justify further unpopular measures, including a new mobilization, as the war in Ukraine continues.